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Virgílio do Carmo da Silva

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In this article, the surname is do Carmo da Silva, not da Silva.

His Eminence

Virgílio do Carmo da Silva

SDB
Archbishop of Díli
do Carmo da Silva in 2017
do Carmo da Silva in 2017
ChurchRoman Catholic Church
ArchdioceseDili
ProvinceDíli
Appointed11 September 2019
Predecessor
Other post(s)Vice President, Episcopal Conference of Timor Leste [de]
Previous post(s)
  • Bishop of Dili
  • (2016–2019)
Orders
Ordination8 December 1998
Consecration19 March 2016
by Joseph Marino
Created cardinal27 August 2022
by Pope Francis
RankCardinal-Priest of Sant'Alberto Magno
Personal details
Born
Virgílio do Carmo da Silva

(1967-11-27) 27 November 1967 (age 56)
NationalityEast Timorese
DenominationRoman Catholic
Alma materSalesian Pontifical University
Motto
  • Caritas Christi urget nos
  • ('The love of Christ inspires us')
Coat of armsVirgílio do Carmo da Silva's coat of arms
Ordination history
History
Priestly ordination
Date18 December 1998 Edit this on Wikidata
PlaceParañaque Edit this on Wikidata
Episcopal consecration
Consecrated byJoseph Marino Edit this on Wikidata
Date19 March 2016 Edit this on Wikidata
PlaceDili Edit this on Wikidata
Cardinalate
Elevated byPope Francis Edit this on Wikidata
Date27 August 2022 Edit this on Wikidata
Styles of
Virgílio do Carmo da Silva
Reference styleHis Eminence
Spoken styleYour Eminence
Informal styleCardinal

Virgílio do Carmo da Silva, SDB (born 27 November 1967) is an East Timorese Catholic prelate who was appointed Bishop of Dili on 30 January 2016. He became an archbishop when the diocese was elevated in 2019.

Prior to his appointment to the episcopacy, he held various offices with the Society of St. Francis de Sales (the Salesians of Don Bosco).

On 27 August 2022, Pope Francis made him a cardinal, the first from East Timor.

Early life and education

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Do Carmo da Silva was born in Venilale, in the then Baucau District, Portuguese Timor (now East Timor),[1][2][3] and is a son of José do Carmo and Isabel da Silva.[3] He has a younger brother, Gui do Carmo da Silva; both are Salesian priests.[4]

Do Carmo da Silva attended Salesian primary and secondary schools in Fatumaca [de], Baucau District.[1][2] In August 2022, shortly before being created and proclaimed cardinal priest, he told Vatican News:

"... when I finished elementary school, I really wished to go to junior high school and the only one by me was run by the Salesians, for those aspiring to be future Salesians. When I approached the Salesians, they were so kind, accepting me to stay and study there. I gradually discovered my Salesian, as well as priestly, vocation."[5]

In 1983, he made his aspirancy, pre-Seminary, in Fatumaca, and in 1989–1990 he entered the novitiate, also in Fatumaca.[3] On 31 May 1990, he took his first vows (first profession), with the Salesians.[1][2][3] He then studied in the Philippines, taking courses in philosophy in Canlubang and in theology in Parañaque.[3]

On 19 March 1997, he made his final vows (permanent or "perpetual" profession).[1][2][3]

Ministry

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Salesian service

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Do Carmo da Silva was ordained as a priest in Parañaque on 8 December 1998.[1][2][3]

From 1999 to 2002, he was a formator of aspirant for the Salesians. He then served in 2002 and 2005 as bursar of the formation house in Venilale and as parish vicar.[1][2][3]

Between 2005 and 2007, he studied in Rome for a licentiate in spirituality at the Salesian Pontifical University.[2][3]

Following his return to East Timor, he served from 2007 to 2014 as novice master for the Salesians. Between 2009 and 2014, he was also director of the Salesian House and the Don Bosco Technical High School in Fatumaca.[1][2][3]

In 2015, he was selected as provincial superior of the Salesians in East Timor and Indonesia.[1][2][6]

Episcopacy

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On 30 January 2016, Pope Francis appointed him bishop of Díli.[1][2][3] He replaced Bishop Alberto Ricardo da Silva, who had died of brain cancer the previous April.[4]

He received his episcopal consecration on 19 March 2016 from Archbishop Joseph Marino, Apostolic Nuncio to East Timor, assisted by Bishops Basílio do Nascimento of Baucau and Norberto do Amaral of Maliana.[7] Government officials, including President Taur Matan Ruak, sent congratulations, marking the end of years of contentious relations between the government and religious leaders.[8]

In April 2018, do Carmo da Silva spoke in support of the launch by the Catholic Church and the government of East Timor of a campaign to promote inbound spiritual pilgrimages. In his view, it was time for the church and government to unite and develop forms of religious tourism. "Sacred places are not only bringing people closer to God. They also have economic and cultural values," he said. He also asked his diocese's parish priests to collaborate with those who maintained the country's religious sites, not merely to keep them clean, but also to give visiting pilgrims peace of mind.[9]

The following month, police in Díli were placed on high alert after learning of potential attacks by Islamic extremists on churches as well as do Carmo da Silva, after the recent elections in the country.[10]

On 11 September 2019, Pope Francis created the ecclesiastical province of Díli, making Díli a metropolitan archdiocese, and appointed do Carmo da Silva as the archdiocese's and Timor-Leste's first archbishop.[1][3][11][12]

With his background as an educator, do Carmo da Silva has worked closely with the East Timorese government in an effort to improve the country's educational opportunities and its quality of education. As East Timor has a very young population (with an average age in 2020 of only 20.8 years), he has also emphasised the task of educating and forming young people in the Catholic faith.[6]

On 8 December 2021, do Carmo da Silva combined with Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak to inaugurate East Timor's first Catholic university, dedicated to John Paul II [de], the establishment of which fulfilled a long-term goal of the archdiocese.[6][13][14]

Do Carmo da Silva has also sometimes commented on more general political matters. For example, in the lead up to the April 2022 presidential election in East Timor, he called on the eventual winner to "keep his election promises so that the people do not lose confidence" and to "be close to the people not only during the campaign, but also during the term of office, so he can know the difficulties faced by the citizens." He also urged East Timorese to "uphold the Constitution" and work together in converting their nation "into a peaceful, prosperous and democratic society".[6]

On 29 May 2022, Pope Francis announced he would appoint do Carmo da Silva as a cardinal,[1][3][15] the first such official from East Timor.[3][16] Do Carmo da Silva was surprised to hear that he was among the 21 new cardinals Pope Francis had decided to elevate. "I am convinced that Pope Francis did not offer this to me, Virgilio, but rather to the Church and the people of Timor-Leste," he said at a news conference the following day.[6][14] He continued:

"The people and the Church of East Timor deserve this grace and recognition from God, in a country where the Gospel arrived 500 years ago and which celebrated the 20th anniversary of its independence on May 20."[6]

During a papal consistory on 27 August 2022, Pope Francis created and proclaimed him cardinal priest, assigning him the title of Sant'Alberto Magno.[1][17] At the age of 54, he became the second youngest cardinal, after Bishop Giorgio Marengo, 48, Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia.[6] Four days later, on 31 August 2022, he, together with East Timorese from various countries, and a group of Indonesians, participated in a Eucharistic Celebration of Thanksgiving in the Tetum language at the Chapel of the Pontifical Urban University, with the ambassador of East Timor to Italy [de] and other civil officials also being present.[18]

That week, he also told an interviewer that East Timor's having a Catholic majority had eased reconciliation with Indonesia after East Timor's independence was restored in 2002. He praised East Timor's adoption earlier in 2022 of the Document on Human Fraternity signed by Pope Francis and Ahmed el-Tayeb in 2019. He also noted that the country's efforts to promote religious tourism include representatives of other religions, that there was already a large mosque in Dili and a large Hindu temple was under construction.[19]

In early September 2022, the new cardinal visited the headquarters of the Portuguese Province of the Salesians, in Lisbon, where he was received by the provincial superior and by the acting director of the Salesians in Lisbon.[20]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "DO CARMO DA SILVA Card. Virgilio, S.D.B." Holy See Press Office. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Rinunce e nomine, 30.01.2016" [Resignations and appointments, 30.01.2016] (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 30 January 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Government congratulates Dom Virgílio do Carmo da Silva on his elevation to Cardinal" (Press release). Government of Timor-Leste. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  4. ^ a b Ora, Thomas (1 February 2016). "Pope Francis names new bishop in Timor-Leste". UCA News. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  5. ^ Vatican News (12 August 2022). "East Timor's first cardinal speaks of his vocation, spirituality, Church's priorities". LiCAS.news. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g I.Media for Aleteia (16 August 2022). "The 1st cardinal for this almost entirely Catholic, young nation". Aleteia. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  7. ^ "East Timor - Episcopal ordination of the Salesian Virgilio do Carmo da Silva". Agenzia Info Salesiana. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  8. ^ Berlie, Jean A., ed. (2017). "Independence: Political Events in 2006, 2008, and 2015". East Timor's Independence, Indonesia and ASEAN. Springer International. p. 38. ISBN 9783319626307. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  9. ^ Ora, Thomas (3 May 2018). "Timor-Leste turns to religious tourism to boost economy". UCANews. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  10. ^ Sainsbury, Michael (24 May 2018). "Terrorist fears spread to Timor-Leste as bishop threatened". UCANews. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  11. ^ "Resignations and Appointments, 11.09.2019" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 11 September 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  12. ^ Ora, Thomas (12 September 2019). "Timor-Leste's first archbishop aims to unite faithful". UCANews. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  13. ^ Dagur, Ryan (10 December 2021). "Timor-Leste inaugurates first Catholic university". UCA News. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Carmo da Silva, a newly created cardinal gifted to all of Timor-Leste". PIME Asia News. 31 May 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  15. ^ "Pope names 21 new cardinals, from Asia, Africa, elsewhere". ABC News. Associated Press. 30 May 2022. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  16. ^ "Presidente timorense saúda nomeação de primeiro cardeal do país" [Timorese president welcomes appointment of country's first cardinal]. RTP Notícias (in Portuguese). Lusa. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  17. ^ "Assegnazione dei Titoli e delle Diaconie ai nuovi Cardinali" [Assignment of Titles and Deaconries to the new Cardinals]. The Holy See (in Italian). Ufficio delle Celebrazioni Liturgiche del Sommo Pontefice. 27 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  18. ^ Redazione (31 August 2022). "Virgilio Do Carmo Da Silva, Salesian of Timor, among the new Cardinals". Istituto Figlie di Maria Ausiliatrice. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  19. ^ "Cardinal says tiny East Timor, in shadow of Muslim giant, is laboratory of tolerance". Crux (Interview). Interviewed by Elise Ann Allen. 29 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  20. ^ Salesianos (27 September 2022). "Consistório: D. Virgílio do Carmo da Silva feito primeiro Cardeal de Timor-Leste" [Consistory: D. Virgílio do Carmo da Silva made the first Cardinal of Timor-Leste]. Salesianos (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 17 June 2023.

Further reading

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Media related to Virgílio do Carmo da Silva at Wikimedia Commons

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Bishop of Díli
2016–2019 		Elevated to Archbishop
New title Archbishop of Díli
2019–present 		Incumbent
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